The crucial implications of FATCA for U.S. Citizens in Hong Kong & Globally including US Air Space!

Airline says new laws are forcing it to hand over 30 per cent of salaries to American authoritiesCathay Pacific Airways is to start withholding about 30 per cent of its American pilots’ salary every month and pass the money to the US tax authorities together with the pilots’ personal information this year.

“The US Internal Revenue Service is actively seeking airlines flying into the US to ensure they are fully compliant with all US income tax requirements,” Cathay said. “As an international airline flying into the US, we are working with the IRS on this compliance.”

Yip, an expert on FATCA, said that if Cathay did not comply, the US tax authorities would withhold 30 per cent of its US-source income.

Cathay will start withholding tax from the second quarter of the year.

A recently signed tax information sharing agreement between the Hong Kong and U.S. governments is an important first step towards a formal, comprehensive intergovernmental agreement (IGA) under the U.S. Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act ( FATCA), said lawyers.

Last July, the Hong Kong Legislative Council moved to enable Hong Kong to enter into stand-alone Tax Information Exchange Agreements and, more importantly for U.S. persons who have financial accounts there, to sign an “intergovernmental agreement” (IGA) with the U.S. for implementation of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA).

FATCA reaches U.S. citizens or residents and entities, such as a corporation or a partnership, in which a U.S. person owns more than a 10% interest.

Beyond the obvious, the reportable accounts include those held in trusts, insurance policies, retirement and stock option plans, and other related foreign structures.

The implications of FATCA, and in particular its withholding and reporting regimes, are wide-ranging for financial institutions, investment entities, and many other global organisations.

— reporting and payment of tax on worldwide income, including investment income earned on financial accounts located outside the U.S.

— disclosure of foreign accounts on tax returns and “FBAR” forms, and of foreign assets on the new Form 8938

— reporting of gifts or bequests from non-U.S. sources, and distributions from and relationships with foreign trusts, as well as interests and certain transactions with foreign corporations and partnerships.

The failure to comply with these requirements can have significant, even potentially catastrophic consequences, including potential criminal prosecution for willful violations and substantial civil money penalties.

A willful FBAR violation can result in a penalty of 50% of the balance of any unreported account(s) per year, and the IRS is increasingly aggressive about this penalty.
Even non-willful conduct can result in substantial monetary sanctions, and the assessment of tax and interest.

Foreign financial institutions, including Hong Kong based financial institutions and Hong Kong branches of international financial institutions, are all subject to the impending FATCA regime.

Equally impacted are all residents in Hong Kong with U.S. citizenship or U.S. residency status, as the FATCA rules will require compliant financial institutions to disclose their account information to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Additionally, certain non-U.S. account holders will be required to comply with requests from their financial institutions for additional documentation in order to avoid being subject to the 30 percent withholding tax.

Under FATCA, “Foreign financial institutions” (FFIs) include:

Banks

Private equity funds

Hedge funds

Institutional investment funds

Retirement funds & trusts

Insurance companies

Securities brokers and dealers

In essence, any non-U.S. organisation that holds, or manages customers’ money is considered an FFI subject to FATCA, irrespective of where it is headquartered or whether or not the shareholding structure is American.

What effect will FATCA have on your business?

Organisations will need to rapidly determine the potential business implications of FATCA and define their compliance strategy accordingly.

Executives should make it a priority to increase their organisation’s FATCA knowledge.

Disclaimer

The viewpoints and opinions expressed do not take into account any particular individual's investment objectives, financial situation, political agendas or religious beliefs. My views shared are my own which are derived from my personal experiences and influences and I am free to change them at any time, or realign to accommodate any new conditions and information available. I cannot guarantee the information to be free of mistakes and incorrect interpretations. Any financial topics must not be taken as advice and past performance is not indicative of future results. The information, including commentary, investment ideas, legal, tax and other specialised subjects, should not be relied upon as a substitute for independent professional consultation, which should always be explored before making any financial or legal decisions.